Method of producing textile fabrics



Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES METHOD or PRODUCING TEXTILE FABRICS Herbert Platt, Cumberland, Md., assignor to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. ApplicationOctober 12, 1934, Se-

rial No. 748,087. Renewed November 29, 1938 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the method of obtaining a desired width and to the stabilization of the width to washing, of such fabrics as knit and woven fabrics comprising yarns of an organic .3 derivative of cellulose.

An object of the invention is to forma desired width fabric especially of the circular knit type economically and expeditiously.

. Another object of the invention is the setting, or stabilizing of the width of a fabric so that it is unaltered in washing, dyeing or any future contact with ordinary liquid baths or otherwise becoming wet. Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description. 0 By this invention there may be made circular knit fabrics of any desired width with but a limited variety of sizes of circular knitting machines. Accordingly, it is not necessary to finish circular knit fabrics to a width slightly less than 20 the greige width of the machine upon which they were knitted. This invention disposes with the requirement of an endless number of machines of different diameter, especially machines with very large diameter and therefore very expensive, to

make the different widths required in the trade for circular knit fabrics.

By this invention there is imparted to the fabrics the desired width and also the desirable property that the desired widths are permanent to washing, dyeing or other treatment and contact with aqueous baths normally met with in the processing of the fabric after its formation or those met with in use in respect to V wearing apparel. This invention not only sets 35 or makes permanent the width of a fabric but also sets or makes permanent the stitch shape or weave thereby reducing slipping, distortions and the grouping of yarns together which distortion and grouping of the yarns normally form thin and 4 thick striation in the fabric.

By the employment of this invention a nonslipping fabric may be made of a fabric that normally allows slipping of weft over warp in woven fabrics or of stitches in knit material. Many 45 novel effects may be produced by the change in shape of the weave or stitch from the normal to one altered, to any of a various number of shapes depending on the degrees of stretch imparted to the fabric, which change in shape is permanent 50 and set. Thus, in the making of a voile, the weft and the warp will anchor each other so firmly that they form a non-slipping fabric.

This invention gives to the finisher a means of controlling and manipulating the circular knit 55 fabrics, so that he can, within certain limits say 3 inches in a 20 inch fabric, place the circular knit fabric at the width or widths desired. All knit fabrics tend on wet treatment to assume a fixed length and width, depending on the build of the fabric, but this tendency can be controlled by the manipulation of the knit fabric according to this invention and the dyeing, drying and finishing processes, as well as treatments received in using the fabric, leave the width factor unaltered and as'it was permanently set by the finisher. 1

According to my invention, I permanently stabilize or set to a desired or predetermined width a fabric, containing an organic derivative of cellulose, with or without other materials, by holding the fabric at said width while the fabric is in a wetted, softened or partially plastic state.

This invention is applicable to fabric formed by circular knitting, warp knitting, knotting. weaving or other fabrication of a textile fabric from yarns, threads, filaments, etc., a part of said yarns, etc. being formed of an organic derivative of cellulose. It is, however, especially applicable to circular knitted fabrics formed of a yarn consisting of an organic derivative of cellulose.

Accordingly, fabrics of the circular knit type maybe stretched to the desired width and, while I being held to said width, they may be wetted or made plastic by immersion for from 2' to 15 minutes in an aqueous bath containing from 5 to 20 grams per litre soap, said bath being maintained at about 98 C. After drying and/or'cooling the fabric may be removed from the stretching device and subsequently dyed, calendered, washed and otherwise treated in the ordinary manner with but a negligible decrease in the width of the fabric. The width of the circular knit fabric may be set at the greige width, i. e. the width of the fabric as it comes from the loom or knitting machine or any width above the greige width, preferably not exceeding 4 inches of stretch in 20 inches for most of the ordinary cloths such as used in the underwear trade. For the purpose of producing novel effects, however, crcular knit material may be formed with a more loose stitch than usual and the degree of stretch I 98 C. andcontaining 5 to 20 grams per litre soap and the fabric then stretched to the desired. width and held in a stretched condition until partially dried or cooled, after which itmay be rewetted,

any of the fabrics while wet may be passed through a steam bath or over a steam table while being held to the desired width by their marginal edges. The steam employed when using a cone, header or spreader may be either dry or wet steam and may be under pressure, say about 5 lbs.

In dyeing fabrics formed of yarns containing organic derivatives of cellulose, there is often incorporated in the dye bath from 1 to 4 grams per litre of soap and/or other compounds which are equivalent to soap for the purpose of placing the fabric in a wet or plastic condition. Thus the fabric may be stretched while in such a bath or it may be stretched in the presence of steam, before drying, after removal from such a bath.

For the purpose of setting the width or for imparting a-slight amount of stretch to a fabric, aqueous baths without soap may be employed and the wet fabric from such a bath may be given a steam'bath while being stretched preferably in the presence of wet steam. However, dry steam may be employed.

The yarns from which the textile fabric to be treated is formed may be composed of a single filament, assemblies or bundles of a number of continuous filaments which may be in parallel relationship or which may be twisted together, straws, short lengths of staple fiber or threads or yarns spun from such staple fibers. This invention is particularly of importance in connection with the fabrics made of yarns or filaments of organic esters of cellulose and organic ethers of cellulose. Examples of organic esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate, while examples of organic ethers of cellulose are ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose.

The yarns forming the textile fabric to be treated may be spun or drawn from an organic derivative of cellulose solution by either the wet or dry method of spinning. They may contain effect materials such as pigments, filling materials such as the oxides'of metals, dyes or lakes and/or effect materials such as fire retardants,

sizes, plasticizers, softeners and lubricants. Examples of sizes are wax, gelatines and starches. Examples of the plasticizers and softeners are triethanolamine stearate and the glycol or glycerol stearates or oleates. Examples of the lubricants are the glycerides of fatty acids, ofls, such as olive oil, etc. Any of the above or analogous efiect materials or mixtures of same may be added to the yarns or filaments by adding the same in suitable solvents or emulsifiers to the spinning solution from which the yarns or filaments or constituent fibers of the same are spun or drawn. Also they may be added to the yarns or filaments by tretaing the yarns or filaments with a swelling agent such as mono-ethyl ether of ethylene glycol and applying them to the swollen yarn or filament so that upon contraction of the yarn or filament they are imbedded therein.

The yarns or filaments of the textile fabric to.

be treated may contain in addition to the organic derivative of cellulose and the above effect materials such other eflect materials as threads, filaments or fibers of cotton, wool, silk, etc. These eflfect materials may be incorporated with the filaments, fibers, yarns, etc. of the organic derivaand straw or filament through press rolls with or without heat.

This invention is also applicable to textiles or fabrics woven or knitted from two or more distinct types of yarns or filaments. Thus filaments of an organic derivative of cellulose may be woven or knitted with yarns of cotton, wool, silk or other natural fiber or with regenerated cellulose. It is preferable, however, to employ this invention in connection with circular knit fabrics formed for the most part of an organic derivative of cellulose.

For the purpose of further describing the invention but not with the intention of limiting it thereto, the following specific examples are given.

Example I I An olive oil treated yarn of twisted filaments containing cellulose acetate is circular knitted in usual manner such that its raw width is'24% inches. This is placed on a stretching frame increasing its width to 26% inches in which condiper litre soap for 15 minutes, said bath being maintained at 98 C. This fabric is dried while stretched and when removed from the frame is found to maintain said width. This fabric is given a thorough washing and again dried and the width is found to measure 26 Example II A circular knit fabric of yarns containing cellulose acetate made on a 26 inch machine after dyeing is treated while wet by passing it over a steam head and spreader thereby stretching it to a width of 20 which fabric when dried, washed and dried measures 20% in width.

The foregoing detailed description and examples is merely given by way of illustration and many alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I desire a to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Process for imparting a desired width to a knitted textile fabric containing filaments of an organic derivative of cellulose, which width is permanent to all subsequent wet treatment, which comprises stretching the said knitted textile fabric while the same is subjected to the action of a hot aqueous fluid at a temperature and for a duration of time sufficient to soften the organic derivative of cellulose filaments of said tion it is immersed in a bath containing 10 grams organic derivative of cellulose, which width is {I permanent to all subsequent wet treatment, which comprises stretching the said knitted textile fabric while the same is subjected to the action of a hot aqueous liquid at a temperature and for a duration of timeksumcient to soften the organic derivative of cellulose filaments of said fabric.

4. Process for imparting a desired width to a knitted textile fabric containingfllaments of cellulose acetate, which width is permanent to all subsequent wet treatment, which comprises stretching the said knitted textile fabric while the same is subjected to the action of wet steam for a duration of time sufllcient to soften the cellulose acetate filaments of the fabric.

' 5. Process for imparting a desired width to a knitted textile fabric containing filaments of an organic derivative of cellulose, which width is permanent to all subsequent wet treatment, which comprises maintaining said knitted textile fabric to the desired width while immersing the same in a hot aqueous bath containing soap, said bath causing the organic derivative of cellulose filaments of the fabric to soften, and then drying said fabric.

a 6. Process for imparting a desired width to a knitted textile fabric containing filaments of cellulose acetate, which width is permanent to all subsequent wet treatment, which comprises maintaining said knitted textile fabric to the desired width while immersing the same in a hot aqueous bath containing soap, said bath causing the cellulose acetate filaments of the fabric to 15 sof en, and then drying said fabric.

HERBERT PLA'IT. 

